Arch-support.



T. 0. WALKER.

ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1915.

THOMAS C. WALKER, OF BELLAIRE, OHIO.

ARCH-SUPPORT.

mosaic.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs C. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellaire, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch-Supports, of which the following is a specification. This invention contemplates an improved instep support and has as its primary object to provide a device of this character which may be formed to fit the bottom of the foot of each individual wearer and which may be constructed to neatly fit within the shoe to be thus held in place therein.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character so constructed that it will not normally exert undue pressure against the instep of the wearer to consequently tire the muscles and cause fatigue and annoyance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be light in weight, which will be elastic so as to give easily beneath the instep under the weight of the wearer, and which will also provide an insole or pad for the bottom of the foot beneath the instep and at the heel.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein T have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved device in operative position within a conventional type of shoe, the shoe being shown in section, Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the device more particularly illustrating the mounting of the spring upon the body portion thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the spring relative to the body portion of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the body portion of my improved support is indicated at 10. This body portion is preferably formed from a single piece of leather of suitable character formed to fit the bottom of the foot of the wearer and provided with a heel 11 and with a tread portion 12. Upon one side, the body portion 10 is bent upwardly to provlde an antielastic portion 13. The body portion 10 is slightly bowed or curved longitudinally as a whole as more particularly shown in Serial No. 59,460.

Fig. 1 and the antielastic portion 1.3 is formed along the outlines of what should be the normal outline of the arch of the foot. Consequently, it will be seen that since the body portion 10 is preferably formed from leather which of itself will possess a certain degree of elastic rigidity, the said body portion will tend to yieldably urge the arch of the foot to normal position and will also provide in some degree a cushion for the foot in the operation of walking.

As will be understood, the body portion 10 may be of any desired size in accordance with the requirements of different wearers and will preferably be formed to neatly fit within any conventional type of shoe of corresponding size to be thereby held in place within the shoe. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have illustrated a conventional type of shoe 14: having asole 15. The body portion 10 is received within the shoe to overlie the heel portion thereof abutting at one end with the counter of the shoe and extending at its opposite end to a point forwardly of the arch portion of the shoe sole or well be neath the metatarsal bones of the wearer. However, it will be observed that the forward extremity of the body portion 10 terminates short of the tread portion of the shoe sole or what would be the ball of the foot, so that the action of the support will influence the muscles of the foot only at the arch or instep and will not interfere with the proper flexing of the muscles at the ball of the foot. Connecting the body portion 10 at its rear end with the sole of the shoe, is a tack or other suitable form of fastening device 16. Arranged medially of the body portion 10, upon the lower side thereof, is a longitudinally extending spring or cushioning member 17. The rear end of this spring is received and countersunk within a suitable recess 18 formed in the lower face of the body portion 10 and is fixed to the body portion by a plurality of rivets or other suitable fastening devices 19. The recess 18 extends longitudinally beneath the free end of the spring 17 and is adapted to receive the said spring when depressed.

The spring 17 may be of any suitable character but is preferably formed from a single piece of relatively light resilient sheet metal so that it will possess a high degree of elasticity and will consequently readily give to the foot of the wearer in the operation of walking. Preferably, the spring is wheel portion 11 of the body portion and with its free'end bent to provide an arch 21 of less radius than the arch portion of the body portion 10 and curving away from the body portion. The spring 17 thus normally forms an arch 21 as more particularly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing beneath the arch portion of the body portion 10 and.con se quently beneath the arch of the foot with the free end of the spring engaging the sole 15 upon the forwardly sloping incline of its arch portion. I

It will now be seen that the arch 21 of the spring 17 is normally spaced from the arch of the body portion and since the arch of the bodyportion is formed to fit the arch of the foot of the wearer, the elasticity of the body portion is alone relied upon to I maintain the "arch thereof snugly against the arch of the foot when the foot is at rest. Accordingly, the body portion 10 will not, under normal circumstances, exert undue pressure upon the arch of the foot to tire the muscles or otherwise cause discomfort or annoyance. However, it will beseen that when downward pressure occurs upon the foot, the arch of the body portion 10 will be flexed so that the said arch will engage the arch -21 of the spring 17 The engagement between these two elements will not be abrupt due to the elasticity of the body portion 10. When the body portion 10 is so moved to engage the spring, the arch of the spring will then coact with the arch of the body portion to yieldably sup port the arch of the foot. In this way, the full cushioning effect of the spring is obtained while, at the same time, the arch of the foot is relieved of the pressure which the spring would otherwise exert thereagainst were the arch of the spring normally flexed by the presence of the foot within the shoe. Obviously, this is a very advantageous feature of construction since undue pressure upon the arch with its consequent annoyance tends to nervousness. For these reasons,the spring 17 is, as above stated, constructed of relatively light ma terial so that it will give easily under pressure exerted by the foot and will readily yield to the downward movement of the foot arch.

When the body portion 10 is properly formed to fit the foot and is constructed of relatively thick hardened leather, the elasticity of the body portion 10 will of itself, normally press against the arch of the foot, should the wearer be sufiering from what is known as a fallen arch, to properly mold the arch to normal position and in other instances will tend to so support the arch of the foot that it will retain its normal posi tion. Since the body portion 10 is constructed of relatively flexible material as compared with the spring 17 this pressure of the body portion will cause no discomfort. Thus, the bodyportion 10 is adapted to brace and support the arch of the foot, when the foot is at rest, entirely independent of any metallic supporting action. The arch 21 of the spring when flattened under pressure from the foot will be received within the recess 18 so that the presence of the spring cannot then cause any discomfort and is so located upon the bottom of the body portion that the muscles upon the inner side of the arch of the foot will be practically unhampered in the operation of walking and will not be subjected to any pounding action such as would be caused by the presence of a metallic arch or other reinforcement upon the antielastic portion 13 of the body portion.

Stitched or otherwise secured to the upper face of the body portion 10 is a pad 22 which may be formed of felt and provides an insole co-extensive with the area of the support. This insole is relatively thick and is thus adapted to cooperate with the yieldable action of the body portion 10 and with the spring 17 in cushioning the foot in the operation of walking, as well as to contribute to the general comfort of the wearer. Since the pad 22 is d'etachably connected to the body portion 10 it may, be removed at any time desired so that said pad may be maintained in a thoroughly sanitary condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An instep support including a body portion arched to fit beneath the arch of the instep and provided upon one side thereof with a recess, and a cushioning spring extending longitudinally of the body portion and fixed at one extremity within said recess, the said spring being tapered toward its free end and being longitudinally bowed with its bowed portion arranged in spaced relation beneath the arch of the body portion, said recess being adapted to entirely receive the spring when depressed by the body portion.

2. An instep support including a body portion arranged to fit beneath the arch of the instep, and a cushioning element extending beneath the body portion with the said element movable to a position in which its lower face is flush with the lower face of the body portion.

3. An instep sup ort including a body portion arched to t beneath the arch of weenie ity within said recess withv the opposite extremity of the said cushioning element movable to seat within the said recess to provide an unobstructed surface upon the adjacent side of the body portion.

ture.

THOMAS C. WALKER. [1,. s.]

In testimony whereof, afix my signa- 15 

